Wonder-material graphene could start to dominate the electronics market within five years, researchers claim.

Wonder-material graphene could start to dominate the electronics market within five years, researchers claim.

Nobel Prize-winner Prof Kostya Novoselov, who developed the product – the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material – says it could be used in touch screen devices within three years.

Prof Novoselov predicts it is then likely to be used for rollable or fold-up electronic paper in new generation technology, in a research paper for scientific journal Nature.

He developed the ultra-thin substance along with fellow Manchester University researcher Andre Geim in 2004, but predicts some potential medical uses in drugs and as a replacement for silicon will not become a reality until 2030.

Prof Novoselov said: “Graphene has a potential to revolutionise many aspects of our lives simultaneously. Some applications might appear within a few years already and some still require years of hard work.

“Different applications require different grades of graphene and those which use the lowest grade will be the first to appear, probably as soon as in a few years. Those which require the highest quality may well take decades.

“Because the developments in the last few years were truly explosive, graphene’s prospects continue to rapidly improve.”

His co-author Prof Volodya Falko, from Lancaster University, said: “By our paper, we aim to raise awareness of engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to the enormous potential of graphene to improve the existing technologies and to generate new products.

“To mention, in some countries, including Korea, Poland and the UK national funding agencies already run multi-million engineering-led research programmes aiming at commercialisation of graphene at a large scale.”

The paper also describes the three new methods of making graphene – depending on how it is to be used.

The scientists initially experimented with sticky tape to remove atom-thin sheets from pieces of graphite.

They were given knighthoods in the New Year's Honours List for their discovery, having been awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010.

Last year Manchester University was awarded £38m for the creation of a National Graphene Institute.